How I learnt to talk with plants?

“Twinkle twinkle little star how I wonder what you are” was the first curiosity that aroused as a child in me when I was age 7. Around such young age of our life, we were keen to learn more, seek answers by questioning ourselves how, why and when? Earlier when I was young and pursuing my undergraduate degree, learning about microbes seemed very fascinating. However, I had never thought I would be pursuing my career as a research scientist. Choosing a right career path is indeed not an easy job. Young scientists who are thriving their research career are more prone to making wrong decisions. Until last year, I myself was in dilemma about what should I do after getting my degree. Should I join University as a faculty or should I go for post-doctorate abroad to elaborate my skill and knowledge? However, after choosing my current laboratory, I am seeing my goals even more clearly than before. My current mentor has really injected insight about how to be a real research scientist and what should be our goals to be one? True research scientist can never be evaluated on how successful they are or how accredited or awarded they are? The real ones are those who quest for uncovered realm of science which would help the other common people to live in healthy and peaceful life. “Application of research findings in respective area of society, is what truly needed and appreciated. Standing alone in crowd and making difference is what really matters. This makes me retrieve one quote by Einstein “Strive not to be a success but rather be of value”. I once read a book by Nancy Rothwell “Who wants to be a Scientist? Choosing science as a career”, which explains what should be taken in consideration on choosing a career as scientist. It also provides insights on developing a better career. It is useful for everyone from fresh undergraduates to sound post-doctorate fellows and all researchers at different stage of their career. Long gone are those days when parents always forced their children‘s to be a doctor or an engineer or everything they wanted. This era provides different outlook for what we really want to be, what’s our interest and what makes us happy. We should choose career that can make difference not only in our life but also on others. When I started my career as plant pathologist on year 2006 with bucketful of hopes, and dreams. I enrolled for master’s course on plant pathology at Kangwon National University, South Korea with enhanced enthusiasm and aspirations. I feel like it was yesterday that I started my career and its’ been 7 beautiful years. It is indeed an interesting subject.
Being a plant pathologist is a challenging job that requires endless dedication, restless observation, relentless patience, inquisitiveness, creativeness, and uncompromised industry. Being a plant pathologist is not an easy job, we need to temper with lots of hits and trials, planning, and precautions. However, the challenges and thirst to learn more, do more, want more, and think more is what seems most motivating to contribute towards it. Having clear concept, and vision in our work helps in achieving more and building a good career. As the cliché goes “Rome was not built in a day” our life and career will also not be achieved in a blink of an eye. Learning new techniques, conducting experiments, and writing papers are important part of research work. Moreover, working close to nature and playing with plants makes you feel more lively and fresh. Personally, I feel closely bonded with nature especially plants, so much that sometimes I hear them whistle. Here goes, my story on how I learnt to talk with plants.